


Snowdrops of the Mountain

by RegalMisfortune



Series: Gibraltar Shenanigans [12]
Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: Gen, My attempt to get back into writing fics for this fandom, also she has an axe, au where lynx basically is part of the oladele family and zarya lives in a cottage in the mountains, i havent quite decided, i havent written lynx or zarya in ages and its hard, i just had a really dumb thought and ran with it, if i ever decide to write more, ooc?? probably?, this can be read as human!lynx if you want to, which means writing random shit, writing instead of sleeping 10/10
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-10
Updated: 2018-02-10
Packaged: 2019-03-16 05:05:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13629198
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RegalMisfortune/pseuds/RegalMisfortune
Summary: Efi's family drags Lynx out of their apartment to go on a vacation to the mountains. In early spring. Where there's still snow on the ground.Naturally this anti-social city-slicker gets horribly lost.





	Snowdrops of the Mountain

**Author's Note:**

> I haven't written anything for this fandom in ages. This is most definitely not up to par as my old works, but I am trying my best to get back into some flow. 
> 
> I also apologize if I mess up Lynx's pronouns. I tried to make sure they were correct but I could have miss a few because my fingers go faster than my brain does sometimes.

Lynx did not like the outdoors.

No, they preferred the quiet, semi-dark coolness of their own home, where their company was perhaps a visitor or two every other week or so if they could help it, and business done in digital deals under the light of soft glowing projections. Minimal contact, little dirt to bother them with, and low humidity.

Yes, that was how they liked it.

And yet somewhere along the way, they had been hoodwinked. Confounded and befuddled. Tricked into coming along on some Oladele family trip, with Efi being the mastermind of it all into pulling the wool over their eyes with innocent grins and childish antics that always seemed to worm them into agreeing _something_ they would later regret.

How else could she had convinced both themselves _and_ Orisa  in joining when they not only left the comforts of Numbani, but the entirety of the African continent, dropped off on some cold, backwater land full of rolling hills and mountains and not even a basic internet server in sight? There was still _snow_ on the ground, wet slush that soaked into the hems of their pantleg and slipped under their feet at inopportune occasions. It was official; Efi was evil, child genius who should be taken off this world and to the moon where she couldn’t force them into her nefarious schemes again.

Whoever decided to go travelling to the mountainside in early spring was insane. It was the only thing they could deduct to, between the internal complaining and cursing. This was a Mrs. Oladele idea, they were sure of it, the friendly, motherly woman was the kind to go off between most tourist seasons of the winter and summer, to let her little Efi experience snow but not the bitter cold that usually came with it. Peace and quiet, before the hills were overrun by ignorant foreigners and enthusiastic locals.

Lynx didn’t like being part of that equation right at the moment, as they nearly had their feet come out from under them as they stepped on some ice that had been hidden under the slushed snow. An ignorant tourist, lost on a mountainside and no convenient path through the trees to guide them back. They tried figuring out which way the land was sloping, but it was far too gradual of a feature now that they only kept getting even more disoriented.

How on earth did they manage to lose an entire party of four was beyond them. They had been behind the group not more than five seconds ago, and then, suddenly, Lynx couldn’t see nor hear their chatting and crunching of wet leaves and snow. Only themselves and a birdcall through the empty branches overhead. They thought they had followed after their muddied slush trail, but it seemed they had been incorrect, possibly deer tracks or simply muddied snow, as they hadn’t seen nor heard anyone since they followed the trail through the trees. They should have caught up by now- they were certain of that- so that only left with one thought:

They were lost.

Terribly, horribly, horrendously lost in the middle of goddamn nowhere, surrounded by trees and mud and who knows what else. They couldn’t even _call_ to see where the others were, and they cursed the mountains and the trees and the gross, sloshy snow and half-frozen mud with every step they took.

“Let’s go on vacation with my family, she said,” Lynx griped as they pulled their foot out of the mud with a disgusting squelch. “Go outside and get some fresh air, they said at eight in the morning. See nature up close, it’ll be fun! Let’s go look at some _damned_ dead trees in the _fucking snow_ like some blithering idiots who didn’t even bother to pick up a map-!”

One particular tree root decided it did not like being sworn at, and Lynx’s foot caught one of its many knots that had been hidden under the ice. Their entire body lurched, feet scrambling for purchase as they stumbled several feet before unceremoniously dropping face-first into a thicker patch of snow.

“You little-“ Lynx’s further insults died before they could finish forming them as they pushed themselves up from the snow, no longer seeing swarms of dark tree bark, but open swath of land of a hillside. The snow was sparser here, the breeze gently ruffling the petals of thousands of tiny, white flowers that peeked their heads out from the melting snow with their fragile leaves. Farther up the hill of small flowers was what they could only describe as a cottage, dead vines creeping over its woodworking and porch as smoke trailed up from the chimney.

It was as if they fell into one of the many fanciful stories Efi spoke of, of magic and witches and sword-wielding knights. There was always some cottage in the woods, a shack in the forest, filled with something either nefarious or helpful. But this wasn’t some fairy tale, this was reality, and Lynx was too covered in mud and melted snow to care about. They just wanted to go back home, to their small, warm apartment in Numbani, tucked under some clean, _dry_ blankets and under the light of screens, not the spring sun that shined down on them in mockery of their lack of coordination in the outside world.

It was as soon as their foot hit the first step of the small porch that logic caught up with Lynx, pausing their step as they hesitated. Most people lived in the woods to be secluded from society, they were pretty sure they read somewhere. Alone with nothing but trees and squirrels for company. They would expect some sort of shotgun in their face if they disturbed the occupant, but what else were they to do? It didn’t quite look like there was some sort of driveway or road they could follow on this side of the-

“You tromped through my flowers.”

Lynx jerked, nearly slipping on the steps from the mud caked to their feet as they snapped their head around to stare at a broad chest. Slowly their gaze lifted upward, following the curvature of strong shoulders and beefy biceps to the face of a woman who had far softer and daintier features than a woman of her size and build should possess. Not even the cross-shaped scar over one brow did little to deter from this fact.

She was built like a brick house, if Lynx was to be honest, a body builder with long blond hair braided back and out of the way. She was even wearing _makeup_ , although the eyeliner made her green eyes look far more dangerous as they narrowed at her, the carefully painted nail tightening around the handle of the largest axe they had ever seen that rested over her shoulder. Relaxed, but ready to use it.

“How observant. No one told me you were observant.” Lynx never wanted to stuff themselves into a bag and be tossed over a bridge into a frozen river so much so than they did at that second, their voice getting away from them before their thoughts as the sarcasm dipped out before they could stop themselves. It didn’t endear them to the woman any, whose eyes narrowed even further as she peered down her small nose at them. How could someone as tall as her have such a dainty little nose? It didn’t make sense-

“You are trespassing.” The words came as a barbed warning, her accent thick but her intentions clear enough. The slight shift of the axe helped jar Lynx back to reality.

“I’m sorry.” They were left to try to scramble in fixing this disaster before the massive woman decided to use that axe against them, gesturing lamely to the mud and soaking wet clothing. “I... had the misfortune of getting lost and I let the stress get the better of me.”

They sounded sincere enough, but the stranger didn’t look too convinced, her lips pursing into a thin line as she swept her gaze over them. Unimpressed and unamused. Internally Lynx wanted to bury themselves in a hole somewhere, but in reality they squared their shoulders up and jutted their chin in defiance, matching the expression with one of their own. He was far too much in a bad mood to be dealing with hostile axe-wielding women.

“Look, I am sorry about your flowers, but I am horribly lost and irritated and I have better things to worry about than some fancy grass. Just point me to the nearest road and I will find my way back, and then I will be off this forsaken rock of a mountain and out of your hair _and_ your damned flowers.”

They stared each other down for several seconds- Lynx was starting to worry the woman really was going to kill him- but then she let out a snort and dropped the axe to the ground to prop against the deck with a thump that made them jump.

“Come,” she merely said, waving a hand towards them as she turned her back to them and rounded the side of the cottage. “And do not step on my snowdrops.”

“Fine, fine,” they muttered to themselves, but was careful to only step in the same path that she took. Now that they were looking down, they could see the footpaths of barren ground between the tiny budding flowers with petals as white as the snow around them. Small and dainty, like her nose.

Wait, no-

Around the back of the house was an old truck, worn and beat to all hell and then beaten back together again, more rust than metal and held up by nothing but pure spite. Old white paint was chipping away to expose grey and blue of ancient paintjobs, words in unfamiliar text written across the side of the bed that was almost too degraded to read anymore. It creaked in warning as the woman cracked open the driver side door, the keys left in the ignition as if unafraid that someone would try to steal it. Then again, perhaps she wasn’t- she looked like the kind of person to hunt them down on foot and take it back by force.

“In.”

Lynx did as they were told, trying to hide the expression they so wanted to make at the rust at their fingers as they popped open their own door and got in, carefully trying not to touch the old seating with their gross, dirty pantlegs and feet.

The truck rumbled to life with nary a grumbling sputter, gears creaking as she began to drive the ancient beast down a bumpy dirt road that disappeared into the trees. Lynx couldn’t help but pick at their sleeves, pulling bark and tiny needles from the fabric as the silence between the occupants prolonged into nervewracking awkwardness. They weren’t the best at interactions, their sarcasm too biting for most to handle and socializing definitely not their strongest suit. Typing out messages they could live with, but face-to-face conversations were far too much, especially when they had to face someone whose bicep was thicker than their entire head.

“Where?”

Lynx accidentally pulled a thread out from the seam in their sleeve, turning their head to look towards the woman whose eyes never left the road. The side profile backed by the light occasionally streaming through the window between empty branches made her face both strong and soft as the same time, gentle even- if one didn’t focus too much on the serious crease of her lips or looked down past her thick neck.

They realized belatedly that they were silent for too long, the green eyes flicking over to stare down at them with a questioning quirk of her brow. “The Lodge,” they managed to get out, forcing themselves to look out the windshield. “Hopefully they haven’t formed a search party by then. Shouldn’t have gone on this blasted trip. There’s not even cell service out here.”

There was a soft sound, almost a laugh that made them turn back to look at the woman. Her piercing eyes were back to the road ahead, but they were softer at the corners and there was a slight curl of a smile threatening to form over her mouth.

For some reason, it only made Lynx want to talk more.

“I am sorry about the flowers,” they blurted, but the woman merely shrugged her large shoulders.

“They are strong. Grow through snow and cold. They will survive a baby’s step.”

“I- wh- _I’m not a baby!_ ”

Lynx’s near incoherent spluttering made the ghosting smile twist to a grin as the woman leaned towards the steering wheel, shoulders shaking as she stifled her laughter. The truck bumped off dirt roads and onto pavement, the signs of life of the small mountain down on the bottom of the mountain causing Lynx’s shoulders to slump in relief. It only made the smile slip off the woman’s face faster than they could catch, shoulders pushing back to relax against the seat but the knuckles on the steering wheel said everything about her growing tension.

Efi was sitting on one of the benches outside their lodgings when the woman turned her truck into the parking lot, the small child perking up and the shadowed expression disappearing as she smiled as bright as the sun ahead as she jumped to her feet. “MA! PA! LYNX’S BACK!” she called so loudly that even Lynx could hear it with the truck’s rumbling engine, rushing towards the passenger side door as Lynx popped the door open as soon as the vehicle was parked to idle.

“You ditched me in the woods!” they scolded, scandalized even as they grudgingly bent down to accept the leaping hug around their neck, awkwardly patting Efi’s back as she broke into tears.

“I am already wet, thank you very much,” Lynx grumbled, although there were no heat to their words as Efi hiccupped and laughed while her parents and Orisa came rushing out of the building to fuss over them, more happy that they were back in one piece and horrified at how much of a mess they became.

They could hear the gears shift in the truck again as the stranger from the mountain put it off park, but she couldn’t make a hasty enough escape as Mrs. Oladele popped open the passenger side door.

“Thank you,” she told the other woman, tears on her lashes and voice watery with emotion. “How could we ever repay your kindness?”

The large, strange woman looked entirely out of her comfort zone, adjusting her grip on the steering wheel as her eyes flitted from Mrs. Oladele to the onlookers who poked their heads out of the Lodge or across the street. “Just… stay out of my snowdrops,” she muttered, giving Lynx an unreadable look before glancing away. She looked _nervous_ , and Lynx couldn’t help but extend some sort of helping hand as they patted Mrs. Oladele on the shoulder and carefully steered her away from the door enough to shut it.

They paused, just for a moment, giving the stranger one last glance.

“Thank you,” was all they could manage before awkwardly shutting the door again and being almost bodily carried by Orisa back into the Lodge, being told quite firmly that they were far too dirty to inconvience the workers in tracking mud all across their carpet.

Lynx craned their neck enough to see the truck disappear down the road, and with it the strange woman with the long hair and small, careful nose and her mountainside of snowdrops.

Belatedly, they realized they never got her name.


End file.
